Duolingo Spanish Podcast

By Duolingo

True stories for English speakers learning Spanish. From the makers of Duolingo, the most popular language-learning app, comes a new podcast that delivers fascinating real-life stories in easy-to-understand Spanish with English narration. These are not language lessons; they’re life lessons through language. Hosted by Martina Castro, co-founder of NPR’s Radio Ambulante.

As the child of adoptive parents in 1980s Argentina, Tatiana Sfiligoy knew her family situation was unique. But it would be another decade before she uncovered the truth about what happened to her biological parents — including the role her country played in their disappearance. A transcript of this episode is available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Like many others around the world, Spanish speakers on both sides of the Atlantic have responded to the coronavirus pandemic with exceptional acts of courage and kindness. In this special episode, we’ll hear stories of people who have stepped up to serve their communities with creativity, ingenuity, and solidarity. We dedicate this episode to the global community of front line workers who have worked tirelessly to keep others safe. A transcript of this episode is available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

In El Salvador, waist loom weaving is a revered craft, historically undertaken by women—until Ronald Vega had to take over the job from his sick mother, becoming the first man in his family, and his country, to practice this ancestral technique. A transcript of this episode is available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

After an impressive career of cooking in some of the world's best restaurants, Marco Quelca decided to dedicate his life to bringing gourmet cooking to lower income communities in his native Bolivia, pioneering a new kind of performance art: high-end street cooking. A transcript of this episode is available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

As a child, Dr. Linda Valencia was fascinated by her grandmother, a traditional healer in Guatemala. But after choosing a different path and becoming a medical doctor, Linda realized that she could integrate the best parts of her grandmother's practices into modern medicine, in order to transform healthcare across Guatemala. A transcript of this episode is available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

When María Elena Paz moved to a plot of land on the outskirts of Mexico City, she was shocked to find no water, electricity, or roads. She and her neighbors weren't even supposed to live in the ecologically protected zone. But María Elena was ready to move mountains to show her community that the power to improve their living conditions was in their hands. A transcript of this episode is available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Francisco Sanclemente is on the verge of professional soccer success when a serious illness leaves him wheelchair-bound. Without the use of his legs, he's forced to redefine what it means to be an athlete. A transcript of this episode is available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

In 1961, 15-year-old Norma Guillard left her family behind and ventured into rural Cuba as part of a nationwide campaign to teach people how to read. Her eight-month journey would culminate in a historic accomplishment for her country—and give Norma an opportunity to leave poverty behind. A transcript of this episode is available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

For 30 years, Ana Larriel struggled with her weight and her body image. Until she decided her body wasn't what needed to change. The cultural perspective she had grown up with was what needed changing. A transcript of this episode is available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

A Spanish fashion designer works hard to give her autistic son every opportunity—then discovers that he has a special talent and makes him her business partner. A transcript of this episode is available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

A young Puerto Rican man takes a dish from his homeland and creates a global food sensation. But when Hurricane Maria hits, he finds a new way of using food to help the island he loves. A transcript of this episode is available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Yola grew up watching her grandfather make mezcal. When he died, she took up the mantle. But how would she transform her grandfather’s hobby into a mezcal for the masses? Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Rodrigo Pacheco worked in some of the world's best restaurants, but he never truly felt like the chef he aspired to be until he found himself far from the culinary scene on the Ecuadorian coast. That's where his quest to build a 100% sustainable restaurant began. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Working as a nurse in Venezuela during the worst economic crisis in the country's history, Fabiola Molero is used to seeing hardship. But when she and her team saw a photo of a girl suffering from extreme malnutrition on a nearby island, they knew the crisis had reached a tipping point. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Eréndira Sánchez is a young skydiving apprentice in Mexico when a world-famous skydiver offers her a chance to train at his facility in the U.S. But after a tragic accident, Eréndira is forced to choose between a life of freedom in the sky or one of safety on the ground. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

In 1980s Quibdó, a rural, Afro Colombian city, homophobia was a part of everyday life. But when Erlin Mena found the courage to put on heels and dance in drag, he helped create a thriving queer community that endures to this day. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Growing up as the daughter of a mariachi, Mireya Ramos learned early on that mariachi was a male-dominated world. But after moving to New York City, Mireya decided to challenge tradition and create an all-female mariachi group, opening doors for other musicians and redefining the genre. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

It took Vincenzo Bruno years to fully embrace his trans identity. But the moment he did, he became a fierce advocate for other LGBTIQ Costa Ricans, helping to launch a campaign that would end up altering the course of Costa Rican history. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

In May 2019, twenty Paraguayan soccer players traveled from their hometown to Asunción, the nation’s capital, to play the most important game of their lives. Led by their captain, José Elías Argaña, they were the first indigenous team to qualify to Paraguay’s national soccer league. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

In 1970, in a country polarized by cold-war politics, Jorge Gómez organized an outdoor music festival. But what he expected to be a peaceful gathering turned into a life-defining moment that would become an enduring myth in his country. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Mexican tenor Javier Camarena discovered he wanted to sing Opera the first time he heard it. His passion for singing Opera lead him to test his strengths and determination over and over. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

All her life, Cirle Tatis Ariza had been taught to think her curly hair was something to hide. But after years of harsh chemical treatments, Cirle learned to love her hair, and taught other women to do the same. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Ever since she was a little girl, Carmen Félix knew she wanted to work on something related to space. So she defied cultural expectations, became one of the first Mexican scientists to work for NASA, and helped create and participate in some of the first simulations of missions to Mars. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Fernando Laposse is a Mexican designer with a particular obsession: corn. It’s an obsession that began in his childhood and would lead him to create a project that would not only help save the diversity of native corn in Mexico, but also revive a small farming town that was about to disappear. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Tatiana Calderón is the only female driver in Formula 2 racing, and she’s poised to make it to the top: Formula 1. In her career, she’s had to overcome many obstacles of a sport built by and for men–but now, she’s leading a revolution to go even further, and adapt racing cars’ design to the female body. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Since he was a kid, Tito Vargas has dreamt of having his own coffee plantation. It’s a dream his parents tried very hard to dissuade him from pursuing because they knew first-hand the uncertainty and hardship of the coffee trade. But Tito persisted, and he too would learn of the ups and downs of life as a coffee farmer, until he found a solution that had been right under his nose that whole time. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

When Danilo Manzano came out to his family, they didn't accept his sexuality and asked him to hide it from the world. But a key friendship would inspire Danilo to not only embrace his identity publicly, but to become an outspoken activist for LGBTQ rights in Ecuador. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Andrés Ruzo grew up listening to his grandfather tell a story about a river with boiling waters in the Amazon. When he later became a scientist specializing in geothermal energy, he set a goal for himself: to go deep into the jungle and find that river. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Carlos Marroquín has always been an inventor. But he wasn’t putting that talent to much use in his native Guatemala until he saw a rare sight on the road that stopped him in his tracks: bicycles. That turning point led Carlos to transform the lives of many farmers and towns through his bicycle-inspired inventions, or as he calls them, bicimáquinas. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Héctor Vergara escaped dictatorship in Chile in the 1970s and fled to Europe, where he landed in the restaurant industry. There he discovered a passion and talent for wine that led him to become the first Master Sommelier from Latin America. But his biggest impact on the world wouldn’t take place until he found his way back home, where no one even knew what a sommelier was. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

The giant Galápagos tortoise is one of the most endangered animals in the world, and Lonesome George was the last of his particular species when he met conservationist Washington Tapia. They would go on to develop a bond that would inspire Washington to dedicate his life to protecting the tortoises of the Galápagos. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Laura Ortiz thought she could change the lives of children in Colombia’s most remote region by giving them books. But a trip there teaches her that she was the one who had much to learn from those communities. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Would you build a company based on trust? That’s what social entrepreneur Marcela Torres set out to do when she launched her Mexico City-based startup that paid young people to learn to code. No one believed she could do it, until she did.

Cristian Gorbea had been running long-distance races for 20 years when he decided to enter his first ultramarathon. The race would begin at the base of a mountain in Argentina and last 24 hours — at least, in theory. For Cristian, the experience would last much longer, and test much more than his physical endurance. He’d test his faith, patience, and capacity to cede his fate to someone other than himself. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Ana María grew up without a father. All she knew about him was his name, but when she set out to find him she discovered that even his name led her astray. Ana María’s endeavor to fill in the blanks her father left in her life story leads her to surprising places, as she learns startling details about her mother’s past and finds guidance where she least expects it. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

When David Martínez was four years old, he and his parents took a bus to the north of Colombia to visit extended family for Christmas. They had many gifts with them, including a ham for the family dinner. But what should have been an uneventful trip turned into a dangerous journey that David would never forget. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

After the September 11th attacks in 2001, Juan Pablo Villarino was dismayed to see how people were starting to lose trust in the ultimate good of humanity. So he figured the best way to prove he was still right to trust total strangers was to hitchhike through the epicenter of the war on terror. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

When she was growing up in Santiago, Chile, Yasna Mussa says it was common for her friend’s families to employ nannies. Even though these workers, mostly women, spent most of their days caring for these families, Yasna remembers them being somewhat invisible. She didn’t take notice of this until she became a nanny herself in a foreign country. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Federico Bianchini had always dreamt of traveling to Antarctica from his native Argentina. But little did he know that the great white continent had a plan of its own for him once he got there. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Flamenco is famous for the emotional intensity of its songs and dances. Argentinian Samanta Gamarra discovered that this ancient art from southern Spain has another quality that is less known for, the ability to heal wounds, the deepest ones. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

When Andrea Krichmar was a girl, she spent an afternoon at her friend’s dad’s house. This was during the dictatorship in Argentina, and that afternoon, without knowing it, Andrea witnessed a scene that would change her life and make her key to the country’s historic return to democracy. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

When Sonia González was a child, her father was the center of her universe, always leading the family on adventures to different parts of Venezuela. But one day, all of that changed and Sonia and her siblings became the leaders of the most challenging ad

When Nicolás Barreto went up the mountains of Venezuela for the first time, he was chasing after a girl. There he worked alongside her for a month putting together a play that would inaugurate the highest theater in the country. He came down from that mountain transformed, filled with a love he wasn’t expecting. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Classifying for the World Cup is an emotional roller coaster for most soccer fans, but in 2018, that was especially true for Peruvians, who hadn’t seen their country compete on the world stage in over three decades. What did it take for Peru to qualify for the biggest event in world soccer? Peruvian fan and writer Toño Angulo Daneri believes it might have all boiled down to an unlikely good luck charm: his 4-year-old son’s favorite toy. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

In Perú, writer Marco Avilés and his dog Piji were inseparable. But when Marco decided they should pursue better lives in the United States, and Marco found himself working for a top chef, their bond and sense of adventure would be tested in ways he had never imagined. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Stella Forner will never forget her first wedding anniversary. It was March of 1976 and she spent the day at the Mexican consulate in Montevideo, Uruguay, which was in the midst of a military dictatorship. She, her husband and their baby weren’t there for a romantic celebration but to ask for political asylum. They had no idea how long it would be until they again felt at home in their own country. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Maria Murriel used to struggle with living between languages and cultures, and for many years tried to hide that she was an immigrant in the United States. Eventually, she realized that what she had been treating as a challenge was actually a key part of her identity.

Fabio Manuppella used to walk by homeless people on the streets of Buenos Aires thinking they must have done something to deserve their fate. Until he had to learn first-hand what it means to lose everything you have. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

María Clara Calle grew up hearing about the atrocities committed by the FARC rebels in Colombia. She never imagined that one day she would not only meet them, but eat and sleep among them, deep in their territory, as they thought about their role in the future of peace in their country.

A mother and her young daughter leave Mexico, escaping violence in search of a better life. It’s a trip with a few unexpected turns that ends up taking longer than planned. But their constant companion was there for them whenever they needed to escape: an old blue suitcase.

In 1996, Luis von Ahn left Guatemala to study in the United States and never moved back. That's partly because of something that happened just before his departure, something that changed his life forever: the kidnapping of his aunt.

Growing up in Ecuador, Carolina Loza-León didn’t feel particularly close to her father. He was withdrawn and not very affectionate; a military man who loved reading American books. But while Carolina felt distant from her dad, he in turn was close with an American couple who hosted him when he was an exchange student to the U.S. She never quite understood that period in his life, until she took her own trip to Cincinnati, Ohio.

Fabián Mauricio Martínez discovered his love for travel through his other passion – literature. So when he first read Jack Kerouac’s novel, “On the Road”, he dreamed of crossing the United States from coast to coast as the main characters in the book had. One day, he decided it was time to make the trip his own. The Duolingo Spanish Podcast brings you true stories in English and Spanish about what can happen when we are far from home. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Actress Trinidad Piriz traveled to Berlin to study theater, hoping to fall in love and improve her quality of life. But six months later, she returned home having only accomplished one thing: to get scammed by a woman whose name would forever be etched in her memory — Helen Brown. The Duolingo Spanish Podcast brings you true stories in English and Spanish about what can happen when we are far from home. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com

María Elizabeth Soto had never traveled to Asia before her office sent her on a three-week business trip to China. She wasn't prepared for the culture shock she'd face there. But the real surprise wouldn't come until she returned home to Chile. The Duolingo Spanish Podcast brings you true stories in English and Spanish about what can happen when we are far from home. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

Roberto Herrscher was one of the many Argentinians who fought against Great Britain in the Falklands War in the 1980s. Decades later, Herrscher returns to the islands to confront his memories and ends up making an unlikely friend. The Duolingo Spanish Podcast brings you true stories in English and Spanish about what can happen when we are far from home. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

When Belén Fernández Llanos turned 28, she decided to move from Chile to Argentina with her boyfriend of ten years to start a new life together. Belén was ready for an adventure, but the one that awaited her in Buenos Aires would turn out very differently than what she had imagined... The Duolingo Spanish Podcast brings you true stories in English and Spanish about what can happen when we are far from home. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://podcast.duolingo.com.

The Duolingo Spanish Podcast brings you true stories in English and Spanish about what can happen when we are far from home. In this first episode, we head to Veracruz, México to hear how Rodrigo Soberanes managed to meet his childhood hero. You can find study materials and a transcript of this episode at https://podcast.duolingo.com.